This invention relates to mobile generators used to provide electricity to remote areas not connected to the public utility electricity grid, or alternately to connected areas that suffer from an extended power outage.
It is known to provide a high-output power generating unit inside a container, such as in a semi-trailer. One particular layout of such a container includes three sub-chambers inside the container, namely a rear chamber wherein a power generating motor is installed (and other elements such as a muffler, a flywheel, etc . . . ), a front chamber wherein a radiator assembly is installed, and an intermediate chamber therebetween. Air intake ports are provided in both the front and rear chambers, and an air outlet port is provided in both the front and intermediate chambers. The intermediate chamber is sealed relative to the front chamber, with a fluid-tight wall, while a through-channel, with a first fan therein, links the intermediate and rear chambers. In use, coolant air is sucked into the rear chamber by the first fan, to cool the motor (and more particularly the flywheel thereof), and the warm air is expelled, into the intermediate chamber, to be redirected out of the container through the intermediate chamber outlet port. In the front chamber, a set of fans are installed at the front chamber outlet port to suck fresh air into the front chamber, to cool the radiators, this air then being expelled through the front chamber outlet port outside of the container.
All air outlet ports are installed in the ceiling of the containers, to prevent warm air exhausts from being expelled directly above ground where people are likely to be standing.
A first problem with such a power generator and container assembly, is that the set of fans, e.g. consisting of three coplanar conventional xe2x80x9cflatxe2x80x9d fans having radially-extending blades, located at the front chamber outlet port, are very noisy. Indeed, each fan will not always rotate in a precisely synchronized fashion relative to the other fans, which will cause a pulsating aerodynamic noise. Additionally, each fan will furthermore cause a slight turbulence for the other fans, increasing the noise emitted by the fans. Finally, due to the high heat dissipated by the radiators of industrial power generators, a single flat fan is not enough to evacuate the generated heat, and consequently three fans instead of a single one are used, thus increasing production cost of the power generator unit, and power consumption.
Another disadvantage of the above-mentioned system is that ultimately, two exhaust systems are used. Indeed, the radiators use a first exhaust system, while the rear motor uses a second exhaust system. This requires two distinct outlet port openings to be provided in the semi-trailer container, and also requires at least two distinct fans with corresponding motors linked to the power generating motor of the generator unit. Thus, production costs are increased, as are maintenance costs and power consumption.
An object of this invention is to provide a high output mobile generator, which will be very quiet in operation and will generate minimal ground vibrations.
Another object of this invention is to provide a convenient and easy to use mobile generator, which will be of easy maintenance.
A general object of the present invention is to temporarily address the needs of electricity supply for those that have short term needs that cannot be fulfilled by public utility systems.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a power generating unit inside a container, with a single outlet port and a single fan for cooling both the power generating motor and the cooling radiators.
The present invention relates to a mobile generator unit comprising:
a generally closed container having a peripheral wall defining an inner chamber;
a first and a second transverse partition wall inside said container inner chamber separating said inner chamber into a first and a second compartments and an intermediate compartment between said first and second compartments;
a power generating motor carried by said container in said first compartment;
a radiator assembly carried by said container in said second compartment and operatively linked to said motor for cooling said motor;
a first fresh air intake port provided in said trailer peripheral wall in said first chamber, for cooling said motor;
a second fresh air intake port provided in said trailer peripheral wall in said second chamber, for cooling said radiator assembly;
a hot air outlet port provided in said trailer peripheral wall in said intermediate chamber for exhausting warm air from said inner chamber;
a first air channel linking said first and intermediate compartments;
a second air channel linking said second and intermediate compartments; and
an air fan assembly provided in said intermediate chamber and powered by said motor, for sucking air from said first and second compartments into said intermediate compartment and for expelling the air through said hot air outlet port.
Preferably, said air fan assembly is a plenum fan rotating about a rotational axis radially offset relative to said warm air outlet port.
Preferably, said plenum fan comprises a first and a second coaxially extending fan portions separated and integrally linked to a fan plate diametrally extending in said plenum fan between said first and second fan portions, said first fan portion being positioned in facing operative register with said first air channel and said second fan portion being positioned in facing operative register with said second air channel.
Preferably, said first and second fan portions have different axial lengths for corresponding respective air flow capacities.
Preferably, said second fan portion is axially longer than said first fan portion, for providing a greater air flow in said second compartment than in said first compartment.
Preferably, said first fan portion creates an air flow of approximately 20 000 CFM while said second fan portion creates an air flow of approximately 40 000 CFM.
Preferably, said mobile generator unit further comprises a third fresh air intake port in said second compartment, wherein said radiator assembly comprises a pair of radiators each positioned in facing, adjacent register with a respective one of said second and third fresh air intake ports.
Preferably, said peripheral wall defines a floor, two side walls, two end walls, and a ceiling, with said first and second fresh air intake port being provided in either one of said side walls and said end walls, and with said hot air outlet port being provided in said ceiling.
Preferably, said mobile generator unit further comprises a fluid containment vat located on said floor and including a bottom wall flatly resting on said floor, and two vat side walls and two vat end walls upstanding from said bottom wall in a fluid-tight manner.
Preferably, one of said container end walls is formed by a door that can be opened to allow access into said container, with said vat having a removable vat end wall registering with said door.